4 found dead after suspicious blaze in western Kentucky

MURRAY, Ky. (AP) — After two adults and two children were found dead in the ashes of a suspicious house fire, Kentucky State Police said they are conducting an "active criminal investigation."

The fire was reported Tuesday evening in Murray, about 200 miles southwest of Louisville, police said in a statement. A woman's body was found first, but after firefighters extinguished the blaze they found three other bodies in the home, the police statement said.

Police identified those who died as 29-year-old Bulmaro Arellano, 24-year-old Marisol Hernandez, a boy who was about 5 years old and a girl who was about 1 year old. All were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police spokesman Jay Thomas said the blaze was intentionally set, but declined to release more information, citing the ongoing investigation. Investigators are trying to determine where and how the fire started, he said.

Thomas also said it appeared that Marisol Hernandez suffered a gunshot wound. He said autopsies would be conducted Thursday on all the bodies and more information could be released then.

Detectives remained at the scene Wednesday.

"We're conducting interviews with some family members and some other folks and we're still processing the crime scene, trying to figure out why it happened and trying to develop a suspect from it," Thomas said.